Sec. 52-143. Subpoenas for witnesses. Penalty for failure to appear and testify.
(a) Subpoenas for witnesses shall be signed by the clerk of the court or a commissioner
of the Superior Court and shall be served by an officer, indifferent person or, in any
criminal case in which a defendant is represented by a public defender or Division of
Public Defender Services assigned counsel, by an investigator of the Division of Public
Defender Services. The subpoena shall be served not less than eighteen hours prior to the
time designated for the person summoned to appear, unless the court orders otherwise.

(b) Any subpoena summoning a police officer as a witness may be served upon the
chief of police or any person designated by the chief of police at the appropriate police
station who shall act as the agent of the police officer named in the subpoena. Service
upon the agent shall be deemed to be service upon the police officer.

(c) Any subpoena summoning a correctional officer as a witness may be served
upon a person designated by the Commissioner of Correction at the correctional facility
where the correctional officer is assigned who shall act as the agent of the correctional
officer named in the subpoena. Service upon the agent shall be deemed to be service
upon the correctional officer.

(d) Subpoenas for witnesses summoned by the state, including those issued by the
Attorney General or an assistant attorney general, or by any public defender or assistant
public defender acting in his official capacity may contain this statement: "Notice to
the person summoned: Your statutory fees as witness will be paid by the clerk of the
court where you are summoned to appear, if you give the clerk this subpoena on the
day you appear. If you do not appear in court on the day and at the time stated, or on
the day and at the time to which your appearance may have been postponed or continued
by order of an officer of the court, the court may order that you be arrested."

(e) If any person summoned by the state, or by the Attorney General or an assistant
attorney general, or by any public defender or assistant public defender acting in his
official capacity, by a subpoena containing the statement as provided in subsection (d)
of this section, or if any other person upon whom a subpoena is served to appear and
testify in a cause pending before any court and to whom one day's attendance and fees
for traveling to court have been tendered, fails to appear and testify, without reasonable
excuse, he shall be fined not more than twenty-five dollars and pay all damages to the
party aggrieved; and the court or judge, on proof of the service of a subpoena containing
the statement as provided in subsection (d) of this section, or on proof of the service of
a subpoena and the tender of such fees, may issue a capias directed to some proper
officer to arrest the witness and bring him before the court to testify.

(f) Any subpoena summoning a physician as a witness may be served upon the
office manager or person in charge at the office or principal place of business of such
physician who shall act as the agent of the physician named in the subpoena. Service
upon the agent shall be deemed to be service upon the physician.

History: 1961 acts deleted obsolete provisions for signing subpoenas and issuance of capias by justices of the peace
and increased fine from $5 to not more than $25; 1967 act clarified section by adding provisions re contents of subpoena
statement and re issuance of capias by court or judge "on proof of the service of a subpoena containing the aforesaid
statement"; 1971 act added references to subpoenas issued by attorney general or an assistant attorney general; P.A. 79-11 added provision re manner of serving subpoena summoning a police officer; P.A. 82-160 rephrased the section and
inserted Subsec. indicators; P.A. 84-141 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re time period for service of subpoena;
P.A. 88-25 amended Subsec. (a) to authorize service by an investigator of the division of public defender services in any
criminal case in which a defendant is represented by a public defender or special public defender; P.A. 94-30 inserted new
Subsec. (c) re manner of service of a subpoena summoning a correctional officer and relettered the remaining Subsecs.
accordingly (Revisor's note: References in Subsec. (e) to former Subsec. (c) were replaced editorially by the Revisors with
references to Subsec. (d)); P.A. 03-19 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective May 12, 2003; P.A. 03-224 added
Subsec. (f) re service of subpoena summoning physician as witness, effective July 2, 2003; P.A. 11-51 amended Subsec.
(a) to substitute "Division of Public Defender Services assigned counsel" for "special assistant public defender", effective
July 1, 2011 (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (e), references to "subsection (d)" were changed editorially by the Revisors to
"subsection (d) of this section" for accuracy).

(2) "Confidential communications" means all oral and written communications
transmitted in confidence between a public defender and a person the public defender
has been appointed to provide legal representation to relating to legal advice sought by
the person and all records prepared by the public defender in furtherance of the rendition
of such legal advice; and

(3) "Public defender" means the Chief Public Defender, Deputy Chief Public Defender, public defenders, assistant public defenders, deputy assistant public defenders,
Division of Public Defender Services assigned counsel and the employees of the Division of Public Defender Services.

(b) In any civil or criminal case or proceeding or in any legislative or administrative
proceeding, all confidential communications shall be privileged and a public defender
shall not disclose any such communications unless the person who is represented by
the public defender provides informed consent, as defined in the Rules of Professional
Conduct, to waive the privilege and allow such disclosure.